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At Outlay Hearings, Mayhill seeks kitchen upgrade

Alamogordo Daily NewsBy Janessa Maxilom, Staff Writer

Posted:
01/05/2013 11:07:49 PM MST

Eddy Coleman, a board member from the Mayhill Community Center Board, spoke to the state senators and representatives Friday during the annual Capital Outlay Hearings about a project to upgrade the kitchen in the community center.

"We had been using the old school building in Mayhill for a community center for many years," Coleman said. "But it was condemned."

Coleman said community members and others from around the county constructed the building in 1986. The center was later deeded to Otero County.

In 2008, the MCC was designated as an evacuation center for emergency operations in the event of a natural disaster.

Coleman said a large kitchen facility was included in the building when it was originally built.

"Up until 2011, we could pretty well do anything. But then we found out from the New Mexico Environmental Department that we can't even cook a hot dog in it," Coleman said.

The kitchen must be approved and certified by the NMED before any meals can be prepared and served to the public.

The estimated cost for the remodeled kitchen is $77,500. The Otero County Building and Grounds personnel would do the majority of the construction and installation work if the project were funded by the state, he said.

The MCC board manages the center and is a nonprofit organization.

"Our goal for 2013, we have $15,000 that we have collected so that we can already start serving senior citizens one meal a week," Coleman said.

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"What we want to do is get this certified so that we can serve numerous meals a week and hopefully more."

The MCC board has applied for $62,850 in capital outlay to complete the kitchen project. The money would also go to the renovation of a storage building for the community center.

The MCC board has received some money from grants, memorials and other donations.

Coleman said that the board continues to apply for various grants to support its endeavors and plans to continue with fundraising efforts. Plaza building: Josette Herrell, representing the Tularosa Basin Historical Society, approached lawmakers seeking $500,000 to renovate the Plaza building to get it primed for a museum.

Herrell said in 1965, the museum moved into part of the Alamogordo Chamber of Commerce building, where it is still located.

In 2006, Alice Weiman offered to sell the Plaza building under the condition that it be used as a museum.

"In 2007, the plaza building was purchased with capital outlay funds in the amount of $300,000," Herrell said.

"It was the seller's intent that the building be used by the historical society for a museum."

Since that time, TBHS has had a goal to get the building remodel it and relocate the museum into it.

The society hopes to move because over the years they have collected more displays and donations of artifacts and have outgrown the space currently provided to them in the chamber of commerce building.

The current space at the chamber is about 2,800-square feet, including office and storage area.

Herrell said if the museum moved to the Plaza building, they would have about 7,000-square feet of space.

The city deeded the Plaza building late last year to Otero County in order to act as fiscal agents for TBHS. The deed contains a condition that the building must be used as a museum.

There is also a reversion clause stating that construction on the museum must begin within two years or the property will revert back to the city.

Due to the county taking possession of the Plaza building, the insurance issue for the TBHS was solved.

The society now has access to the building and volunteers have gone and cleaned up around the outside of the property.

The building is currently closed pending a decision on asbestos removal.

The county has reported and issued a Request for Proposal for asbestos abatement. Once the asbestos situation is resolved, TBHS wants to begin with the restoration of the building.Contact Janessa Maxilom at jmaxilom@alamogodonews.com. Follow her on Twitter @janessa_speaks